Cooling tower



Nov. 3, 1931.

P. E. FLUOR COOLING' TOWER Filed Jan. 12, 1927 '2 Sheets-Sheet -1` P. E. FLUOR COOLING TOWER Nov. 3, 1931.

Filed Jan. 12. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w\ r l T H l. V. HU H U Y Paten-ted ANov. 3, 1931 'f UNITEDSTATES ,PATENT OFFICE PETER E. FLUOR, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 FLUOR CONSTRUCTION C0., 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA cooLING TOWER Application'niea 'January l1.2, 1927. serial No. v160,616.

My invention is a cooling tower to cool water by the Water dripping downwardly through the tower and in addition I `utilize the Water after being cooled to operate on coils of cooling pipes in order to cool the liquids ror gases in the pipes.A

An object of my invention is the construction of a cooling tower which may be made in a set of multiple towers and having the lo water, after being cooled, collected and then redistributed over cooling coils or the like in order to cool gases or liquids passing through said pipes.

A special feature of my invention is in the construction for cooling the water at the base of the tower and redistributing the water to v give an even spray or drip over the pipes or coils to be cooled.

by thewind in traversing the tower, and lseparate the water from the air so that the water is notcarried over the tower and thereby lost.

- In general the features of my invention comprise a tower which utilizes an economy of material in its manufacture and by various instrumentalities subjects the dripping water to air currents tocool the water without undue waste of the waterand collects the cooled water for spraying over cooling pipes, coils or' the like. y

My invention will Abe more readily understood from the following description and drawings, in which: f

Figure 1 is a transverse section through the tower, as if taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the tower, as if taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. The tower as a whole may be considered as built up of a plurality of units-1, there being posts or columns 2 forming a series of supports for the framing 3 of the tower. These posts are located in bents and situated lengthwise-of the structure. The tower constructionfibetweenfeach bent may be considered as `a'rfi'nde'pendent unit although they all oper- ""fa'tetogether lwhen built up in a structure in ultiple.y

The tower i-s provided with a substructure,

o'designated generally 'the vnumeral 4, in

l of John Simon Fluor, n o Another feature of my invention is the use 20 of wind deflectors Ito catch the water carried which is located a series of cooling coils 5,

these being formed of pipes having bends or any other suitable piping system in which liquids or gases may flow, an object being to cool such liquids or gases in the pipes. The superstructure, designated generally by the numeral 6, has the arrangement for cooling the water and at the top comprises a series of distributing troughs 7 which run lengthwise of the superstructure and receive the water which is to overflow and drop through the tower. This water overflows the upper edges of the troughs and drops downwardly, the

water being spread laterally by suitable spreading decks. The construction of the troughs, decks and louvers may be substantlally similar to that set forth in the patent 1,593,252 dated July 20, 1926, for atmospheric cooling tower trough, Patent 1,624,324 dated April 12, 1927, for atmospheric cooling tower, or his Patent 1,632,397, dated June 14, 1927, for cooling tower.

The superstructure is provided with a set of longltudinal louvers 8 which are of the usual construction and may be considered as defining cooling chamber S. It will be seen that air currents admitted between the louvers pass across the cooling chamber. A ladder 9, having a hand rail 10, allows access from the foot walk 11 to the top of the tower outside of the louvers. One or more water vspreading decks 12 are located in the cooling chamber of the towers or tower units andv have transverse boards 13 positioned one above the other, the boards being spaced apart as at 14 so that a lower board covers the space between the upper boards and an upper board covers the space between the lower sets of boards. These boards are arranged transversely and the decks extend the length of the multiple units.

Above such decks is located a wind deilector 15 which is constituted of a plurality of longitudinal boards 16 in two orinor'e depths4 with spaces 17 between the boards. These boards preferably run lengthwise of the tower and are preferably arranged on diagonal joists 18 or the like. These wind deiectors are positioned on the leeward side n. of the tower in reference to the prevailing Y Hector is in addition to the louvers 8 and may be considered as an apertured baie inclined with respect to horizontal decks 12 and, 1n

contradistinction to the louvers, disposed in the path of the falling water.

Plck up .racks 19 are located Abelow the water decks 12 and ext-end longitudinally of the set of towers. These comprise longitudinal boards 2O arranged in steps, the boards in eEect forming a tread and the space 21 between theboards a riser. Boards 2O may be considered as being vertically spaced apart in stepped and horizontally overlapped relation. These pick up racks are preferably arranged ,in duplicate for a tower having three posts to a bent and the boards are secured on any suitable kind of a stepped framing 22. The air may pass through the space at the risers and it is preferable to have the steps or treads inclined lwith a downwardly extending drip edge23 onthe Jfront of each of the treads, and a'raised 4edge 23 at the rear of the treads. v

Longitudinal pick up flumes lengthwise ,of the pick up, racks, there being va flume for eachpair of racks. The drawings which show three posts to a bent and two racks-have two flumes. These flumes are `of ,simple construction having a base 24 extend board 25 and two side boards 26. The flumes may have a certain pitch or inclination if desiredv or may be horizontal. From the above construction -it will be seen that substantially all the water which l'iows from the troughs 7 is collected in the umes 2 4, except such as' may be evaporated or carried away in a fine mist.

The water spreads for distributing the water over the cooling pipes are constructed substantially as follows:

A series of lateral distributing troughs 27, -having apertures 27', are connected to the sidesof each of the lumes. These troughs are positioned between each bent of posts and thus extend transversely of. the tower. The center troughs 28 are preferably connected to both of the lumes and the side troughsv 29 extend from the outside of the ilumes to the outside Aof the substructure. These troughs A may be of any suitable type but are preferably made in accordance with the patents above mentioned. I

Positioned below each of the distributing .troughs are waterdecks 30 to spreader distribute the water over the cooling coils. These decks which are preferably formed by upper and lower boards 31 running lengthwise of ing reseau. a

the tower construction, are of suiiicient length to distribute the water over' thev cooling coils positioned immediately below and between each bent of the posts, the boards being secured to transverse beams 32 and there being `longitudinal spaces 33 between the boards.

The beams are preferably hung by bolts 34 or the like. In conjunction with the water decks or spreads there is provided a plurality Vof water catching devices 35 which are formed of inclined boards or the like 36 which catch the water iiowing out of the troughs 27, allowing this water to drip through openings 37 directly below the iumes 24. By this construction a ilow of water is provided drip-v ping on the cooling coils directly below the flumes. i

The substructure is provided with a plurality of louvers 38 secured to short columns 39 on each side of the outside series of posts. These form an inclosure'for the cooling coils and prevent the wind from blowing the water passing over the coils away.y The water is ing tower construction which adequately distributes the water at the top of the tower,

controls the flow of the water downwardly, and prevents the wind from blowing an excess amount away. The tower collects the chilled water and spreads or distributes suc1 water over the dii'erent sets of cooling coils.

It will be noted in my construction of a cooling tower that no matter which direction the wind blows from it is caught by the louvers and some of it is directed downwardly so that there is allow of a large amount of air over and through the pick up racks and, as these racks are formed'in ste s open at the front and back, the water is su jected to eliicient cooling. The water drip? ping over the cooling coils is also subjected to the action of the wind, this alsov `functioning.

in cooling the water and also the coils.

Various changes may be made in the prin- .ciplesv of my invention without departing' superstructure -having iumes connected thereto, water decks forming spreaders below the lumes, means to convey water from the lumes over said decks, and cooling coils in the substructure below the water decks.

Lasarte 2. atmospheric cooling tower having a substructure and a superstructure,l with means to drip water from the top of the superstructure, pick up racks adjacent the base oit the superstructure having flames connected thereto, lateral distributin trou hs con nected to the umes, water distributing decks below the troughs, and cooling coils in the dubstructure below the water decks.

3. An atmospheric cooling tower, as claimed in claim 2, the umes running lengthwise of the tower and the distributing troughs Vcrosswise, and water catching devices posi# tioned below the tiumes to catch some of the water and drip same from below the lumes onto the cooling coils.

Il. An atmospheric cooling tower having a substructure and a superstructure, means at the top of the superstructure to drip water, spreader decks adjacent the bottom of the superstructure, pick up racks below the decks, :tlumes running lengthwise ofthe tower connected' to the racks, transverse distributing troughs leading sidewise from the lumes, distributing decks below the troughs, and cooling coils below the distributing decks.

5. ln an atmospheric cooling tower a supporting structure having means to drip water rom the top, a plurality of pick up racks extending longitudinally of the tower adjacent the base, said racks having a plurallty of sets'of steps, each set converging at the bottom, a flume at the baseof each set of racks collecting the Water therefrom, transverse lateral troughs connected to the ilumes and interconnecting each of the umes, and

vmeans to spread the Waterdischarged from the troughs. l

6. An atmospheric cooling tower comprising in combination a plurality of posts constructed in separate bents and having a framing there-between, means at the upper part o the tower to drip water, a plurality of pick up racks formed or boards in steps, said racks extending lengthwise of the tower adjacent the base, a Hume extendinglengthwise of the tower for each of thefpick up racks to carry the water so collected, transverse lateral troughs connected to the iumes between each of the bents, water spreader decks below each of the troughs, and a set of cooling coils be- 10W-each of the spreader decks.

7. An atmospheric cooling tower, as claimed in claim 6, having in addition wind deflectors extending longitudinallyy of the tower on the leeward side and inside the outside row of posts, said deflector being inclined inwardly and downwardly and havlng a plurality of layers of boards, the boards of each layer being `spaced apart, the boards of one layer forming a cover for the spaces of the other layer.

8. An atmospheric cooling tower having a substructure and a superstructure, means at the top of the superstructure to drip water,

spreader decks' adjacent the bottom of the superstructure, a wind deector above the spreader decks and extending in a longitudi= nal direction of the superstructure, said detlector being composed ot boards in a plurality ot separate layers, the boards of each. layer being spaced apart and the wind deector being inclined inwardly and down wardly, pick up racks below the decks, umes running longitudinally ont the tower connected to the racks, transverse distributing troughs leading sideways from the umes, distributing decks below the troughs, and cooling coils below the distributing decks.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this speciication.

- PETER E. FLUOR.

CERTIFICATE, 0F Connection.

mehr No. 1,829,144. i cmtedlnmmber l3, -`192,1, u n

rmx E. FLUoR` lt is hereby certified that error appearsin'the printed specification of the y above numbered patent requiring correction asfollows: Pago3, lnes40 and 4l,

claim 6, for the words "constructed in" read forming; vand that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction thereinthat the samelmay conform tov 'the record of the case in the Patent Office'. 'l f Signed and sealed this1'7th day of May, A. D. 1932.

M. I. Moore,

. (Seal) i I Acting Commissioner oiilato-nts.A 

